William Burn Letters, 1797-1799

Summary

Creator:
Burn, William.
Abstract:
Letters from a British Army officer in India to James Miller, his stockbroker and friend, in Calcutta.
Extent:
1 folder (SC)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

William Burn Letters

Background

Scope and content:

The William Burn Letters contains correspondence between William Burn in India and his stockbroker and friend, James Miller, in Calcutta, painting an interesting picture of an army officer's life during the British conquest of India. Burn describes the bloody battles between the Moslem followers of the Tartar and the Sikhs, the pomp and the parades, the diplomatic maneuverings between the British and the Indian princes, and the method of raising money by the British Government and British East India Company for the Indian campaign by public subscription. Burn also tells of his efforts to support his children and himself on an officer's pay, his desire for promotion, his worries about his future retirement on half-pay, and his attempts to supplement his income by buying Lottery tickets and trying to make shrewd investments.

Biographical / historical:

Captain (later Lt. Colonel) William Burn was a British Army officer stationed in India during the late 18th century.

Access and use

Restrictions:

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Terms of access:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

William Burn Letters

Location of this collection:
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Bird Library, Room 600
Syracuse, NY 13244, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
315.443.2697
scrc@syr.edu